Humans Starting to Stand Up to Elephant Seals

The Tribune yesterday (Sunday) published an article entitled, “Elephant Seals posing increasingly hefty challenges,” which discussed the issues of an ever-growing Elephant Seal population at San Luis Obispo County’s seal rookery at Piedras Blancas. An estimated 15,000 seals, numbers growing an average of 15% a year, now visit more than six miles of coastline in the area. Compounding those numbers tells me that these 2-ton cuties are going to be a huge pain in the ass very shortly.

What happens when their numbers grow? Well, that’s simple. They get what they want. And that means your favorite “human” beach could be next. It’s illegal for humans to harass seals. Supervising State Park Ranger at Hearst San Simeon State Park Leander Tamoria said, “We pretty much don’t drive seals off the beach, If they’ve made up their minds that they like a beach, they’ll just haul out again 50 feet away.” If those nasty humans want to use the beach too, the park managers will set up fencing and seasonal closures ato keep seals and humans apart. And this quote says it all: “Elephant seals are picky about the beaches they use,” Tamoria said. “I think people’s beloved Hearst State Beach will be open for a while.”

Is Cambria, Cayucos, and Morro Bay next? You do the math. Where else are 15,000 seals growing at 15% a year go?

Fortunately, the usual SLO county animals-over-humans crowd seems to be getting outnumbered by those who think that humans might have a few rights too. I’m encouraged by the comments posted regarding this article on the Trib’s website. Here’s sampling of excerpts:

User jsnipes said:

Well, government has done it again. Someone should check the ocean water polution at this beach. These creatures double in population every 5-7 years. They aren’t native to these beaches but since all natural shore predators are gone they have nothing to stop them from moving down the coast. They eat enormous amounts of fish while fishermen are forced further and further out to sea. More beaches will be closed to people and eventually huge numbers of the will starve to death or die from disease caused by overpopulation.

Here’s cynicalatbest:

It won’t be long before going to the beach for a day of sun and fun is a thing of the past. Because they are “protected”, as soon as these behemoth’s start populating all of our beaches from Piedras Blancas to Pismo, they will become off limits to all of God’s most important creation….human beings.

JodyLanford chimed in:

Well, at that rate of expansion, they should be starting up a legal hunting season for them any time now.

maxfusion was frustrated:

The Oregon “shootings” turned out to be a hoax. I want to see evidence that the seals were shot. I don’t believe bureaucrats.

Yup, humans are starting to stand up for themselves.

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